Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Xu Rong and Niu Fu carefully planned a conspiracy and agreed to launch a fierce attack on Sun Ce's camp.

As darkness descended upon the land, Xu Rong boldly opened the gates and personally led a group of elite, ferocious Western Liang soldiers towards Sun Jian's camp, engaging him in a fierce battle like a surging tide. Sun Jian had never expected that Xu Rong, the Xuanmen Pass commander known for his cautious tactics, would dare to take such a risk. After all, he had always adhered to a steady and cautious approach. This sudden attack initially caught Sun Jian off guard, but the battle-hardened Sun Jian quickly recovered from his shock. A fierce fighting spirit ignited in his eyes, and he roared, "Soldiers, follow me!"

Han Dang brandished a broadsword and rushed into the enemy camp like a tiger. Every blow of his sword was accompanied by a sharp sound of wind, and the enemies fell wherever he went. He shouted loudly: "My lord, I am here and will fight alongside you!" Huang Gai was also fearless. He charged left and right with his iron whip, looking extremely brave. Zu Mao guarded Sun Jian closely, showing his fearless loyalty.

Sun Jian led the charge, his ancient ingot blade flashing with a cold light. Every swing unleashed a powerful force. He was like a god of war, charging at the enemy with unstoppable momentum. "I, Sun Jian, have always been valiant. How could I be afraid of a bunch of scoundrels like you!" Sun Jian shouted angrily.

However, the Xiliang soldiers led by Xu Rong were no less formidable, their coordinated movements charging into Sun Jian's camp like a torrent of steel. Each of these Xiliang soldiers was fierce and valiant, possessing exceptional combat effectiveness. Under Xu Rong's command, they engaged Sun Jian and his men in a frenzied fight.

"My lord, the enemy is coming in full force. What should we do?" Han Dang looked anxious.

Sun Jian frowned, a fierce look flashing in his eyes. He said, "Humph, Xu Rong, that little brat, actually dared to launch a surprise attack. How could I be afraid of him? Huang Gai and Zu Mao, follow me and charge forward. Today, we will make sure they never return!"

"My lord, don't underestimate the enemy!" Zu Mao advised.

"This is our chance. As long as we defeat Xu Rong and take this pass, we will have no worries about victory!" Sun Jian said confidently.

When the battle between the two sides was at its most intense, Sun Ce came galloping back in a hurry, desperately trying to report the situation to Sun Jian.

"Father, it's bad! There are ambushes in the valley. When they see that my whereabouts have been exposed, they will chase me relentlessly!" Sun Ce shouted.

Sun Jian's expression changed. "What? Ambush?"

In the blink of an eye, Niu Fu's terrifying Western Liang cavalry had surged to the front like a tide. In front, Xu Rong's guards surged out like a tide to engage Sun Jian in fierce combat. From behind, Niu Fu's Western Liang cavalry suddenly launched a whirlwind attack. In that instant, Sun Jian's camp was plunged into utter chaos.

But even facing such an unfavorable situation, Sun Jian's soldiers did not retreat. They continued to fight bravely, and even though they were covered in wounds, they would never give up. Sun Jian was furious and fought desperately, trying to turn the tide of the battle. However, the situation was already irreversible. Sun Jian was filled with regret and cried out in frustration, "I have fallen into Xu Rong's trap! Damn it!"

Han Dang, Huang Gai and Zu Mao all showed expressions of shock and anger, but at this moment they could only fight to the death. On this bloody battlefield, thrilling battles continued to unfold, but in the end, Sun Jian's army suffered heavy losses under this sudden double blow and fell into a desperate situation.

The battlefield was already a scene of devastation and chaos. The Western Liang cavalry, led by Niu Fu, suddenly joined the fray like a surging black tide, crashing down on Sun Jian's forces with thunderous force, instantly shattering the already difficult situation. Under this brutal double-edged attack, Sun Jian's troops suffered a near-destructive blow, suffering heavy casualties. The thick scent of blood filled the air.

However, Sun Jian was like a stubborn and unyielding lion. Even in such a desperate situation, he still refused to admit defeat. He still wielded the weapon in his hand with all his strength and fought frantically with the enemy, completely ignoring the fact that he was in extreme danger.

Han Dang, Zu Mao and three other generals rushed to Sun Jian in a panic. Han Dang's voice was almost shouting: "My lord, the game is over. This is already a situation of great defeat. As long as you have the green mountains, you will never worry about having no firewood. Run for your life!" Zu Mao's face was also full of anxiety. He shouted in an urgent tone: "My lord, you can't be so stubborn!" But Sun Jian ignored their persuasion and continued to fight frantically.

On the other side, Sun Ce was like a wild lion cub, killing with great enthusiasm on the battlefield. At this time, Sun Jian and his son Sun Ce had been separated by the enemy army, and were fighting bloody battles in different areas.

The situation on the battlefield became increasingly critical. Xu Rong shouted at the top of his lungs in the battlefield: "The man wearing the red cap is Sun Jian, catch Sun Jian for me!" In a blink of an eye, countless Xiliang soldiers came like a tide, and Sun Jian was gradually surrounded by layers of enemy troops, making it almost impossible for him to move.

At this critical moment of life and death, Han Dang, Zu Mao, and Huang Gai desperately rushed into the iron-clad encirclement. They held on to the already frantic Sun Jian. Zu Mao's eyes were filled with determination and tragic heroism. He shouted to Sun Jian, "My lord, no more charging! If you continue like this, we will all be wiped out here!" At this moment, Zu Mao resolutely took off Sun Jian's red cap and put it on his own head. With an expression of incomparable determination, he said, "You two, escort my lord to meet up with the young master. I will lead the enemy away!"

Sun Jian was pulled by them, and his mind, which had been lost due to madness, gradually began to recover. He widened his eyes and shouted in pain: "Dashou, how can I leave you in danger? We must rush out together!" Zu Mao showed a miserable smile on his face, and said in a tragic tone: "There is no time to hesitate now. Only if I attract the attention of their Xiliang army can I leave a glimmer of hope for the lord!" Then he turned to Huang Gai and Han Dang and said: "Young master is brave, hurry up and meet up with the young master, the young master will definitely lead you to fight a bloody way out!" After that, Zu Mao resolutely waved the sword in his hand, and rushed towards the most densely populated area of ​​​​the enemy without hesitation. His back was full of tragic heroism of facing death.

Sun Jian watched Zu Mao's retreating figure, his heart filled with endless pain and sorrow. His face twisted in agony, tears welled in his eyes, and his body trembled uncontrollably, as if his soul were being torn apart by this cruel reality. He wanted to rush over to join Zu Mao, but Han Dang and Huang Gai held him back. He could only raise his head to the sky and let out a piercing wail, a sound filled with reluctance and guilt for Zu Mao, helplessness and indignation at his fate. In this moment, the clamor of the battlefield seemed to fade away, leaving only the endless pain that spread within him, drowning him like a tide.

Under the cover of night, the two sides engaged in a fierce battle, but the dim light severely obstructed their vision. Xu Rong could only rely on Sun Jian's striking red cap in the firelight to identify Sun Jian's position.

When he discovered Zu Mao impersonating Sun Jian, wearing Sun Jian's red cap and charging into the distance, Xu Rong immediately commanded his soldiers to encircle and kill the impersonated Sun Jian. Meanwhile, Huang Gai and Han Dang were closely protecting Sun Jian. The pressure on them suddenly eased, so they quickly escorted Sun Jian towards Sun Ce, attempting to reunite with him.

Although Sun Ce was incredibly brave and fought bravely, he realized he had been separated from his father and panicked. He rushed back to find Sun Jian. After finally reuniting with Sun Ce, they joined forces with Han Dang and Huang Gai to break through the encirclement and finally escaped.

Only one-tenth or twelve-tenth of his followers remained, and all of them were wounded. The great hero, Sun Jian, could not help but cry out in tears, "Zumao, Dashou! My good brother! How could you leave me like this? How can I not be heartbroken! How can I not be grief-stricken!" His mournful voice echoed in the night sky, as if carrying endless sorrow and reluctance.

At this time, Han Dang came forward with a sad face. He held Sun Jian's arm tightly and said in a slightly trembling voice: "My lord, although Zu Mao has left, he sacrificed his life for you, my lord, and for all of us! His bravery and loyalty will always be remembered. We can't let his sacrifice go to waste. We must cheer up!" Huang Gai also had tears in his eyes and choked up and said: "Yes, my lord, Zu Mao would certainly not want to see you so sad and unable to extricate yourself. We have to move on, for him, and for the unfinished mission of all of us!" Sun Jian listened to their persuasion, tears still welling up in his eyes, but the pain in his heart seemed to be slightly comforted by these words.

At this time, Sun Ce reacted and said loudly: "If it weren't for improper supply of food and grass, how could our army's morale be weakened to this extent? If it weren't for the low morale, how could Xu Rong dare to come out and fight." After hearing this, Sun Jian thought about it and realized that it was indeed the case. He put away his sadness and quickly led everyone back to the coalition camp. He wanted to find Yuan Shu to ask for an explanation.